The Ondo State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, directed disciplinary action against the judicial officer that granted an injunction to Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa amid the impeachment plot against him.
The directive came after Justice Emeka Nwite of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court issued an injunction preventing the assembly from impeaching Mr Aiyedatiwa on the grounds of alleged gross misconduct.
Mr Aiyedatiwa approached the Ondo State High Court to seek an injunction restraining the assembly from proceeding with the move and breaching his right to a fair hearing.
Named as defendants in his suit, filed by human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, are the Ondo State government, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, the state assembly, its speaker, clerk, and the state’s chief judge.
But the assembly, in a statement, said it had not breached any procedures in the plot to impeach Mr Aiyedatiwa.
Olamide Oladiji, the house speaker who signed the statement, explained that a team of lawyers have already been directed to investigate the injunction secured by the deputy governor.
“For the records, no procedures have been breached in any way.
In view of these, the house has directed its team of lawyers to investigate the purported injunction secured by the deputy governor and report any judicial officer who might have abused his office in granting the unconstitutional ex-parte injunction to the appropriate institution for necessary disciplinary action,” a copy of the statement obtained by Peoples Gazette read.
Mr Olajidi later vowed that the assembly would proceed with the legislative process against Mr Aiyedatiwa to a logical conclusion, noting that it would do so strictly by following the constitutional procedures.
“The house will not abdicate or compromise its sacred constitutional duty to hold elected public officers accountable, particularly where there are prima facie serious allegations of corruption and abuse of power levelled against the deputy governor in this case,” he stated.
Mr Oladiji said assembly members had already served a notice of allegation of gross misconduct on Mr Aiyedatiwa in line with section 188(2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
He revealed that the notice was signed by 11 lawmakers, which was more than one-third of the house members required to sign the impeachment notice under section 188 (2) of the Constitution.
“The impeachment notice contains fourteen (14) specific allegations of gross misconduct with detailed particulars to which the deputy governor is expected to react to not later than Seven (7) days from the day he was served. Hitherto, the house has refrained from publishing the allegations because of the need to accord the deputy governor the courtesy of being served with the notice first,” the speaker said.
Mr Oladiji said lawmakers were aware of reports that Mr Aiyedatiwa sought an order to stop the impeachment process.
“The house is shocked that rather than wait to be served with notice of the allegation of gross misconduct and react to same as required by the constitution, the deputy governor has been running from pillar to post and filing multiple suits in both at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court and the Ondo State High Courts in a bid to stop the legislative process,” he added.
